Cleaner silencer assembly



July 28, 1959 J. D. MCMICHAEL CLEANER SILENCER ASSEMBLY Filed 061;. 10. 1956 IN VEN TOR. g/5i fl/P/ZWbiaa/ L 569M 4 TTGR/VEK United States Patent CLEANER SILENCER ASSEMBLY Application October 10,-1956, Serial No. 615,134

1 Claim. (Cl. 183--15) This invention relates to cleaner silencer structures or assemblies especially applicable for use with V-type automotive engines where minimum space and height are available, Where efiiciency both as a cleaner and silencer is required, and where manufacturing costs must be kept to a minimum.

It is proposed to construct such a cleaner silencer assembly by employing a plurality [of separately manufactured units which can be easily assembled by simple and readily available means and which when assembled will provide a relatively compact structure of minimum height which can be installed on the induction system of an engine to utilize to the best advantage the space which is available. The elements of structure when assembled are designed to provide a simple oil bath or other suitable filter unit and a low pass filter silencer unit.

In the drawing:

The single figure illustrating the invention is a vertical cross sectional view extending diametrically across the structure through the inlet passage means for supplying air and exhausting sound from the structure.

The cleaner silencer assembly 10 embodying the invention comprises a plurality of structural elements or units including a filter unit 11, a supporting unit 12 and an inlet unit 13. The supporting unit 12 and inlet unit 13 may be separately constructed but integrally united by a bead indicated at 14 located on the outer surface of the structure where the bead may be easily accessible for manufacturing purposes. The filter unit 11 is adapted to be removably secured to the assembled supporting unit 12 and inlet unit 13 upon resilient gasket means 16 and 17 by securing means 18 of any suitable type. In the present instance the securing means embodies a bolt 19 and wing nut 21, the bolt being adapted to be secured at the lower end thereof in some part of the induction system of the engine. Not only may the securing means 18 be employed in the removable assembly of the structure 10 upon the gasket means 16 and 17, it may be employed in securing the entire structure 10 to the engine of the motor vehicle.

The structure 10 includes an inlet passage 22, an inlet chamber 23, an annular air inlet 24, a filter chamber 26 and a discharge chamber 25, the air being supplied to the engine through the passages and chambers in the order in which the passages and chambers are numbered. The air may :be cleaned by an air filter 27 located in the filter chamber 26. In the present structure the filter 27 is adapted to be cleaned by oil contained in an oil sump 28 which is formed in the lower part of the filter chamber 26. The oil is picked up from the sump 28 and carried to the filter element 27 by the flow of air through the annular inlet 24. The oil is returned to the sump from the filter element by continuous gravity flow.

The sound emanating from the engine is attenuated by the capacitance of the discharge chamber 25, by the impedance of the filter element 27 and the annular inlet passage 24, by the capacitance of the inlet chamber23 and by the impedance of the inlet 22. The discharge chamber 25 provides a large expansion chamber both for the air received from the filter 27 and for the sound received from the engine. The inlet chamber 23 also pro vides a large expansion chamber for the air received from the inlet 22 and for what remains of the sound received from the engine and emanating from the annular inlet passage 24. The inlet chamber 23 is constructed eccentrically, with the widest part of the chamber being in communication with the inlet 22. This provides for substantially equal distribution of air to the annular inlet 24 after the air has expanded throughout the extent of the inlet chamber 23.

The filter unit 11 is formed by an outer and lower wall 31, an inner wall 32, a cover 33 and spacing means 34, the walls 31 and 32 forming an enclosure in the filter chamber 26 in which the filter element 27 is located;

1 Openings 36 are formed in the wall 31 to supply air to the filter element 27 from the annular inlet 24. The

filter element 27 is secured within the enclosure formed by the walls 31 and 32 by a screen or perforated plate 37 secured in position by a bead 55 formed around the outer part of the cover 33 and by a flange 60 formed at the upper edge of the wall 32. The flanged upper edge of the wall 31 is secured in the bottom of a channel 38 formed beyond the head 55 at the outer edge of the cover 33. The gasket means 16 is secured in the channel 38. The spacing means 34 secured to the cover 33 is adapted to be compressed against the flange 60 at the upper edge of the inner wall 32 when the securing means 18 is applied. The oil in the sump 28 may be controlled by an oil control baffle 39 which is secured to the inner edge of the wall 31 at the junction where the walls 31 and 32 are secured to one another.

The unit 12 may be formed by a wall 41 having an outer part 42, a lower part 43 and an inner part 44. The outer and lower parts 42 and 43 may be secured to the inner part by flanges 46 forming an annular recess for receiving the gasket means 17. The parts 42 and 43 of the wall 41 from one side of the annular inlet 24, the oil sump 28 and enclose the outside and bottom of the filter chamber 26, the part 44 of the Wall 41 being constructed to form the outlet 47 leading from the discharge chamber 25 and to enclose the lower part of the discharge chamber 25. The filter chamber 26 and the outlet 47 open in opposite directions through the wall 41. The lower part 43 of the wall 41 is formed to provide an annular shoulder 48 for resiliently supporting the outer edge of the oil control baflie 49.

The inlet chamber 23 is formed by a wall 51 having parts 52 and 53 secured together at the head 14 when the units 12 and 13 are assembled. The part 53 of the wall 51 may be secured at 54 to the outer side part 42 of the wall 41 when the unit 12 is assembled. The inlet 22 may be formed :by a tube 56 open to the atmosphere at the outer end thereof and connected to a flanged opening in the part 52 of the wall 51 at the place where the inlet chamber 23 is widest.

The inner edge of the part 52 of the wall 51 is beaded at 57 for engaging and supporting the gasket means 16. The gasket means 17 is adapted to support the inner peripheral part of the unit 11 at the junction between the walls 31 and 32. When the wing nut 21 is tightened on the bolt 19 the elements of the structure will be secured to one another upon the gasket means 16 and 17 and the outer edge of the baflle 39, and the entire struc ture will be secured to the inlet to the induction system of the engine.

I claim:

A cleaner silencer structure comprising one annular wall having inner and outer concentrically disposed parts, said inner and outer parts being formed to provide inner and outer annular depressions on opposite sides of said one annular wall, said outer annular depression providing an annular filter chamber, said inner annular de around the outer side of said outer part of said one annular wall and'having lower *and outer sides,-'said lower side of said another annular wallbeing eccentrically secured to said outer side of said outer part of'said one annular wall to provide an "annular inlet chamber communicating with said filter chamber through'said annular inlet, said annular inlet chamber being of'increasing width from a narrow part to a diametrically opposed wider part, resilient gasket means disposed between the outer edge of said cover and said filter-means and supporting said cover and said filter means on' tlie edge of the outer side of said other annular wall, -resilient gasket means disposed between the-lower part of said filter means and engaging said one annular wall between said inner and outer parts of said one annular wall and supporting said filter means on said one annular wall, means removably securing said filter means and said cover on said resilient gasket means, and an elongated tube connected to said wider part of said annular inlet chamber, said tube providing an air inlet and impedance passage means applyingsairrto saidannular air inlet and attenuating sound emanating from said struct'ur'e through said; inlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES' PATENTS Kaml'ath Dec. 15, 2,626,010 Sebok Jan. 10, 1953 2,652,901 Moler Sept. 22, 1953 2,691,426 Sebok et al Oct; 12-, 1954 2,822,885 Sebok et al.- Feb. 11,1958

\ FOREIGN PATENTS n:

1,109,454 France Sept. 28, 1955 

